TAJIK ELECTIONS: IRPT CONGRESS; CRONY ELECTION COMMITTEE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 001458 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV TI SUBJECT: TAJIK ELECTIONS: IRPT CONGRESS; CRONY ELECTION COMMITTEE REF: DUSHANBE 1335; DUSHANBE 1443; DUSHANBE 1321 DUSHANBE 00001458 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: President Rahmon set February 28 as the date for national Parliamentary polls and appointed mostly pro-government loyalists to the national commission overseeing the election. The Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT) held its congress and nominated a party list of parliamentary candidates considered palatable to the President. The IRPT Congress touched on religious issues involving the hijab and the banned Jamaat i Tabligh missionary group, but the party's electoral platform avoids direct criticism of issues close to the President. The IRPT likely hopes to be rewarded for its good behavior with a few seats. END SUMMARY. 2010 ELECTION COMMISSION: A RE-RUN FROM 2005 ¶2. (SBU) On December 14, President Rahmon announced a February 28 poll date for national elections to district councils, regional parliaments and the Majlisi Namoyandagon (lower house of the national parliament). Twenty two seats in the Majlisi Namoyandagon are elected via national party lists, while 43 MPs are elected from electoral districts as individual mandates (Reftel A). The next day, Rahmon submitted to Parliament his appointments to the 15-member Central Commission for Elections and Referenda (CCER),which will oversee the February 28 polls. The new CCER is stacked with pro-Rahmon cronies and looks much like the previous CCER that oversaw the flawed 2005 Parliamentary elections. The Chairman, Deputy Chairman, Head of Administration, and secretary are among seven members back for repeat duty. ¶3. (SBU) Though the government announced that the CCER members include seven of the country's eight political parties, appointees from the Democratic Party and Socialist Party are members of government-controlled splinter groups. The President re-appointed friendly members of the Communist Party and IRPT. Members of the pro-government Agrarian Party, Party of Economic Reforms, and three members representing President Rahmon's People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan (PDPT) round out the list. An IRPT member appointed to the 2005 CCER who criticized the conduct of those elections was not re-appointed to the 2010 commission. The Social Democratic Party, the party most openly critical of the government, is the only party not represented on the CCER. ISLAMIC RENNAISANCE PARTY HOLD CONGRESS, STAYS ON GOOD BEHAVIOR ¶4. (SBU) On December 20, 586 Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan members clad in matching blue scarves (the new party color) met in a Dushanbe theatre to nominate a party list to contest the Parliamentary polls. The IRPT has two seats in the outgoing Majlisi Namoyandagon and party members hope to increase their total to five. Party Chairman Muhiddin Kabiri, elected to Parliament in 2005, again will be at the top of the party list and said his party would run an aggressive campaign focusing on anti-corruption, migration, and government reform in its election campaign. Kabiri admitted in his key-note address that the IRPT had largely refrained from open criticism of the government for ten years, adding that "even foreigners" had criticized the party's failure to organize legislative opposition. Nevertheless, in his speech he did not challenge major government policies, did not raise the April Law on Religion, nor directly criticize the Presidential Administration. He said school expulsion and firing of women who wear the hijab violates the Constitution and pledged that the IRPT would support women involved in such cases. ¶5. (SBU) The IRPT notably omitted from its party list a high-ranking IRPT leader known for his open criticism of the government, Muhammadali Hayit, who was the third member of the 2005 party list. Some party members suggest that the IRPT received only two seats in the 2005 polls to prevent Hayit from taking a seat in Parliament. Party members said that Chairman Kabiri convinced Hayit to abstain from running on the 2010 party list; Hayit plans to run separately in an individual mandate district. In place of Hayit, the party nominated a member who does not have a record of vocally opposing government policies. DUSHANBE 00001458 002.2 OF 002 ¶6. (SBU) Both the Iranian and Afghan Ambassadors addressed the Party congress and emphasized common linguistic and cultural ties with Tajikistan. The Iranian Ambassador said Iran was committed to helping Tajikistan resolve its problems. Kabiri responded by noting Iranian economic support for Tajikistan. While many foreign investors did not enter Tajikistan because of widespread corruption and international financial institutions had their own interests, "our Iranian brothers assist us honestly even when the projects are not profitable." He cited Iran's construction of the Sangtuda 2 hydroelectric plant, and added that Iran had bid to build Sangtuda 1, a project the Tajik government awarded to Russia. ¶7. (SBU) Political/religious heavyweight Hoji Akbar Turajonzoda (Reftel C),though not a member of the IRPT, called on the party to include the plight of the banned Jamaat i Tabligh Islamic fundamentalist missionary group in its campaign platform. Over 50 Tabligh members currently await trial in Dushanbe. Turajonzoda has regularly criticized the IRPT for its failure to raise this case and other religious freedom issues. Kabiri agreed that the issue should be included in the IRPT's platform and suggested that Turajonzoda should officially become an IRPT member. "Once someone eats pilaf with us, he will always be with us." Turajonzoda replied that "While I have never been and am not an IRPT member, me and all of my family will support you in the elections." ¶8. (SBU) On the Party's pledge to buy shares in the Roghun hydroelectric dam project (Reftel B),a prominent businessman addressed the floor and declared that the party was willing to answer the government's call to invest in Roghun if the government establishes a transparent mechanism to manage the process. For the first time ever, the Party's Congress received limited, but positive coverage on the national television channel. ¶9. (SBU) COMMENT: Rahmon's re-appointment of loyalists to the CCER suggests that the February 28 elections are likely to be another centrally directed pro forma exercise with most races decided well in advance. To contest the few races up for grabs, the Islamic Renaissance Party is campaigning to two audiences: the Tajik electorate and President Rahmon. Kabiri pledges to run an active campaign and Hoji Akbar Turajonzoda's presence at the congress suggests that the IRPT has not lost all of its support from the religious opposition. Kabiri is careful to show deference to the government by submitting an inoffensive party list and promoting Roghun shares. Positive state media coverage of the IRPT congress suggests that this strategy may be successful in getting the government to reward the IRPT with additional seats. END COMMENT GROSS